Do you like low pitched instruments? Is the
upper end of the bass clef just a bit too high for your taste?
Are you fascinated by musical instruments that register on seismographs?

Read on.

I've always enjoyed instruments that reach
below the bass clef, preferably way below. Bassoon is fun, but
contrabassoon is much more fun. Why settle for alto flute, when
there are bass
flutes, and contrabass flutes, and subcontrabass
flutes? If
you have similar interests, I hope you'll enjoy browsing through
the
compendium,
stocked with images (and occasionally sounds) of the larger varieties
of musical instruments. BTW, if you have better (or more) images or
sounds,
feel free to send them to me for incorporation. Please also feel free
to
join the Contrabass
email list, currently available in regular or digest formats.
Consider it the
contrabass mania online support group.

If you're looking for a musician to cover
some unusual woodwind parts, try me .

If you have as bad a case of instrument
mania as I do, you might also be interested in the American Musical
Instrument Society. The AMIS has a
quarterly journal,
an annual meeting, and probably 500 other people like me/us. To inquire
about
joining, contact
Albert Rice , the membership registrar.

Please note: If you're sending
email, and want a reply, please include your email address. I
frequently get
email from "user.name@domain", literally. Or from
"fill_in_name@institution.edu." I try to reply, but I just can't find
you. If you haven't received a reply from me, please try sending me
your email address.

If you do not receive a reply
within
a couple of days, please send again and tell me that you didn't receive
my reply: sometimes my email gets bounced without notice, and I may
need
to respond using a different account.